Allen Superior Judge Surbeck revokes bond of suspended Indy officer

Bond has been revoked for a suspended Indianapolis police officer whose trial on reckless homicide, drunken driving and other charges has been moved to Allen County.

Citing "demonstrated instability" and a "disdain for court authority," Allen Superior Court Judge John F. Surbeck Jr. ruled Thursday afternoon that David Bisard, who had been free on bond until a late April arrest in Marion County for drunken driving, would remain in custody until Bisard's scheduled October trial.

According to previous reports from The Associated Press, Bisard, 39, faces two misdemeanor drunken driving charges that allege a pickup truck he was driving ran into a guard rail along a narrow road in the northeastern Indianapolis community of Lawrence.

Documents entered in Thursday's hearing allege that a blood test taken after that April incident allegedly showed Bisard had a blood-alcohol level of 0.22 percent, with the state's legal limit at 0.08 percent. That incident led to Thursday's bond revocation hearing, which was sought by Marion County prosecutors.

Bisard has been suspended without pay from the Indianapolis Police Department since a 2010 crash in which his cruiser allegedly slammed into two motorcycles stopped at an intersection. The crash killed 30-year-old Eric Wells and injured two others; Bisard was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.

The case grew in notoriety as police officers' handling of the crash scene and collected evidence led to disciplinary action against several officers, including the demotion of the police chief in Indianapolis, while legal proceedings have been delayed over blood tests drawn after the 2010 alleged incident were challenged.

Taken together, the case's notoriety prompted a change of venue to Allen County, with that ruling coming in mid-February.

Surbeck confirmed during the hearing that Bisard's next pretrial appearance would be May 31, while the trial on the 2010 charges is scheduled to begin Oct. 14.